so, and the directors have been for some time endeavouring to prevail on the less indigent classes to avail themselves of the very great advantages which it holds out, whilst the fees continue so low as to keep it open to the poorest. In short, it is gradually assuming the character of a truly advanced seminary, combining all that was good in the old plans with the chief improvements of the new.

The building, erected at a cost of L.700, is light, plain, and substantial, combining considerable architectural neatness with much attention to comfort, and finished in the best manner. It consists of two storeys, each having a principal room and ante-room. The area of the building is forty-four feet by thirty-two. The lower school-room is thirty-two feet long, twentyeight broad, and fourteen high, lighted by six very large and elegant windows, and finely floored with wood. It is well furnished with seats of the best construction, having backs (which all seats ought to have), and has an ample supply of the modern instruments of teaching, such as maps, globes, music-board, black-board, object-box, paintings, &c. Connected with this apartment, there is a neat ante-room for cloaks, bonnets, &c. The upper room is thirty by twenty-eight feet, and is provided with an elegant pulpit, and all due accommodation for the delivery of lectures, with a suitable ante-room, fourteen feet by twelve. What a contrast all this presents to the gloomy, dirty, low-roofed, mud-floored, or at best stone-floored, ill-ventilated prison, misnamed schoolroom, of which so many specimens still exist in our

land!

The educational arrangements may be classed under four heads:-1. English and Commercial; 2. Classical and Mathematical; 3. Sewing; 4. Popular Lectures. These, with the exception of the second, are in active operation, and hitherto attended with remarkable success."

The lectures are delivered by professional gentlemen from Glasgow, as well as from Lanark and its neighbourhood, once a-month, open to all on moderate terms, and embracing such subjects as prove generally attractive. They are free to the pupils, for whose benefit a well-selected library is also provided, and a museum is in progress.

The day's work in the general school commences by calling the roll, followed by a hymn and prayer. Religious instruction occupies the first hour; the text-books being the Bible and Shorter Catechism, with explanatory notes, &c. In teaching the Bible, no long lessons are given; a few verses are prescribed, explained by the teacher, and prepared at home by the pupil for next day's examination. Sacred history and geography, with the manners of eastern nations, are duly studied. The directors, while yielding to the general wish that the Shorter Catechism should be taught in the school, would rather, we understand, see that department of instruction in the hands of the clergy or of parents. The Bible is taught in its proper sphere, not degraded to the level of a spelling-book.

Geography is taught on three days a-week, not limited to the ordinary dry routine of committing names to memory, and pointing out places on the map, but enlivened by interesting statements regarding the productions of different countries, and the manners and customs of the people. Grammar forms the subject of a daily lesson, and the senior class has commenced composition. The ordinary elements of English reading are taught on the explanatory system, with the aid of the black-board, maps, drawings, collection of objects, &c. Arithmetic is managed on a similar plan, every rule being explained, and made the subject of examination direct and elliptical. Writing is taught in the usual way. But the peculiar features of this school consist in its adopting music and drawing as elementary branches. On the continent this practice is almost universal, and strenuous efforts have lately been made in England, by Mr Hickson and others, for the introduction of these most important instruments of intellectual and moral *The following extract from the syllabus will show the branches taught, fees, &c.:

to demand their surrender, the pacific attitude long Athens, would doubtless prove gratifying; but among
maintained by the young commonwealth towards the the many highly interesting facts in relation to its
natives being attributed by Gatomba to cowardice, he foundation and present condition, we have only space
killed them in cold blood, and sent to a mission station, to say, that we observe in a lithograph from a spirited
where three blacks were exercising a most happy influ- drawing by one of the colonists, several very respect
ence upon the surrounding heathen, the threat that he able edifices, and among them two churches. One
would destroy them also, adding, that he would permit of these is erected under the branches of a great tree,
no "God palaver" there. This inhuman threat was for many years the seat of bloody heathen sacrifices.
instantly followed by sending a large force under his This was called the "Devil's Bush," and its roots were
ferocious general, Goterah, to carry it into execution. kept constantly moist by the blood of human victims!
He approached their little post before daybreak with On an adjoining island as many as 500 slaves per
a force of some hundreds; and, to whet the courage month were then sold. What a happy change has been
of his forces, promised them the flesh of "'Merica wrought in less than seven years! These practical
men" for their breakfast. Most providentially their results, and the full assurance that it is chiefly through
friends had sent them, only the preceding night, the the instrumentality of Negro example that the civilisa
means of defence; and this heroic trio kept up, for tion and moral regeneration of Western Africa is to
an hour and a half, so constant a fire, that they drove be effected, are now operating on the hearts of many
off the assailants, with the loss of Goterah and a num- slave proprietors in America, so that persons pecu-
ber of his followers. Gatomba threatened to lay waste liarly qualified for these important duties are gratui-
the whole frontier; but such was the energy of Gover-tously offered to the Colonisation Society in far greater
nor Buchanan, that while Gatomba awaited him in a numbers than their limited resources will enable
well-planned ambuscade, he took his defenceless capi- them, at least for the present, to settle in Liberia. In
tal; from which he dictated the terms of peace, ex- one case, 330 slaves, who are extremely anxious to
acting as the principal condition that the slave trade avail themselves of the proffered boon, have been thus
should be for ever abandoned. The effect of these offered; in another, 80, who have long been training
brilliant achievements was almost magical on the for the purpose; and many others are referred to in
surrounding tribes; they now felt that they had en- the documents of the society; indeed, nine-tenths of
tirely misconceived the motives of the "'Merica men" all the emigrants sent out by the society during the
for enduring with patience their insolence and occa- past seven years, have been slaves thus gratuitously
sional incursions; and within the ensuing fortnight emancipated by benevolent owners. The opinions of
about a dozen more of them hastened to give in their the colonists themselves may be best inferred from
adhesion to the terms of the treaty, by which a large the Herald's account of the proceedings of a meeting
territory, long the theatre of their barbarous outrages, held in Monrovia, when not a white man was in the
has been since permitted to enjoy profound peace, and colony; but we have already extended this article
a traffic in European manufactures has rapidly taken beyond our original intentions, and can only make
the place of that in human flesh and blood. Had the room for the third resolution in the series, which bears
hands of the Colonisation Society been duly strength- on the nature of the Liberian enterprise; it is in the
ened in their merciful designs, we have the assurance following terms:-"That this meeting regards the
of a devoted missionary who has laboured in that colonising institution as one of the highest, holiest,
region, that it would have saved the Deys from de- and most benevolent enterprises of the day; that as a
struction; that tribe, some years ago, when numbering plan for the amelioration of the coloured race, it takes
10,000 souls, having sought the alliance and protection the precedence of all that have been presented to the
of the colony, which it was, from its own weakness, attention of the modern world; that in its operations
reluctantly obliged to refuse. In the interim, Ga- it is peaceful and safe, in its tendencies beneficial and
tomba and his savage allies have utterly destroyed advantageous; that it is entitled to the highest vene-
that unoffending and interesting people.
ration and unbounded confidence of every man of
colour; and what it has already accomplished, de-
mands our devout thanks and gratitude to those noble
and disinterested philanthropists that compose it, as
being, under God, the greatest earthly benefactors
of a despised and depressed portion of the human
family."

RECENT EXPERIMENTS IN ANIMAL
MAGNETISM.

the slightest external symptom of suffering. The professor had the power of rendering one particular limb rigid and insensible, while the other remained in its accustomed state. On one occasion we saw the patient covered with a thick cloth, and at the wish of any particular person, either the right or the left arm was rendered insensible at will, by a sign which the youth had no apparent means of perceiving.

In the public exhibitions at the Hanover Square Rooms, the same youth was the principal patient, but M. Lafontaine also operated upon one or two females, whom he sent to sleep in a very few minutes. The young man, on these occasions, as in the private experiments, had pins thrust into his hands and temples, and one of the company actually made a very severe wound in the thigh, from which much blood issued. Still he did not move. This last test was as unexpected as it was severe, and appeared any thing but reconcileable with the idea put forward by some that the youth, by dint of training, was able to accustom himself to make no outward manifestation of the existence of pain, although, in point of fact, suffering from it to a very great extent. As to the females, as far as the experiments could be tested, there did not appear to be the slightest deception. The phenomenon of magnetic sleep was produced almost immediately, and the same insensibility as was observable in the case of the youth. These females were stated to be, and appeared to be, persons of respectable character. We questioned them closely at different times, and they both most positively assured us, that while in the state of magnetic somnolency, they were utterly unconscious of any thing that was done. We notice this particularly, because in the case of one of the females rather a curious circumstance happened. While in her natural state, her demeanour was peculiarly quiet, modest, and reserved, but as soon as she had been magnetised, a change came over her, and she committed many acts of absurdity-talking incoherently, and behaving generally with great indecorum and folly.

At one of his public exhibitions at the Hanover Square Rooms, two gentlemen of respectable appearance, who gave their names, and stated that they belonged to Cambridge University, came forward and submitted themselves to the operation of being magnetised. The first, a young and robust individual, was not seated many minutes before he gave striking evidence of being acted upon by some very potent agency-whether from the influence of some medical or physical application, which is just possible, or from the alleged effects of Mesmerism, we will not determine. The effect was produced without the usual manipulations or passes, but solely from the contact, as it appeared, of the professor. He seated himself opposite the patient, and pushing back his [GENERAL attention has again been recently at- thumb, appeared as if he were desirous of acting in tracted to animal magnetism, in consequence of some way upon the pulse. The professor during the some public exhibitions in London by a Parisian time looked very steadily at the gentleman's face. medical gentleman, named Lafontaine. This may Scarcely three minutes had elapsed before the patient accordingly be looked upon as a good opportunity for became convulsed-there appeared a sensation of sufadverting to some of the phenomena produced, or sup- focation in the throat-he dashed his hands about, posed to have been produced, by the practisers of this his eyes gleamed wildly, and indeed such alarm apart, since the period when we described a visit which peared to pervade even the sceptics, that they called we paid to Dr Elliotson's. In introducing the follow-upon the professor to unmagnetise him. This he ing statement by a correspondent, we have only one appeared to do with some difficulty, as the return to remark to make that there appears to us to be too sense was evidently a painful process. In fact, the great an inclination in the public to regard these phe- gentleman had the air of being entirely exhausted; he nomena as something out of the common course of called loudly for water, and all present, we believe, nature. Ordinary sleep-walking, catalepsy, and some felt some relief at seeing the termination of the unof the diseases of extreme nervousness, are not less pleasant symptoms which had been exhibited. The wonderful-yet they occur every day. Why, then, second gentleman exhibited somnolency in a very brief may not Mesmerism be only an artificial means of period. With respect to the patient upon whom the bringing on, in susceptible natures, conditions of a like most striking effects had been exhibited, the writer remarkable kind? This we say without wishing it to took an opportunity of asking him about the sensations be understood that we are either believers or disbe- he experienced. The gentleman answered, that he was lievers in animal magnetism: the subject is not yet not entirely unconscious of what was passing, but that ripe for either full belief or full rejection. It only ap- he had no power to move; and as to his sensations, pears to us that, in this art (so to call it), laying out they were of such a disagreeable character that he of view some of the more extraordinary effects attri- was very glad when he was sufficiently restored to buted to it, there is nothing, judging beforehand, more resume his accustomed state and feelings. wonderful, than in some conditions of the nervous system with which medical men are familiar. The vulgar disposition to look upon such things as supernatural, is one of the causes why sound thinkers and philosophical inquirers are deterred from them. The more real knowledge that any one possesses of the nervous system, the less, we believe, will he be disposed to be startled by the alleged wonders of Mesmerism as out of the ordinary course of nature.]

Since the return of peace, the change wrought upon a population deeply imbued with all the vices of savage life in its worst form, through the instrumentality of Negro missionaries, is very striking-no less than 153 members having been added to the church at the station just alluded to; and at other places in Liberia even greater results have followed similar efforts. Indeed, we have high authority for believing that the wisest plan for the speedy elevation of the natives has been pursued. Men of their own race and colour, not only endure the climate with impunity where whites rarely survive, but they win more readily their confidence; they can more successfully adapt their instruction to the comprehension of the illiterate sons of the forest, and afford them the most incontestible proof that they can attain to an elevation which their crafty priests had hitherto assured them was alone reserved for the white man, that they might thereby the more readily impose upon their credulity. There are now upwards of twenty churches of the four leading denominations in the various settlements, and most of their pastors are blacks. Schools, too, including three high schools, and others for sabbath instruction, exist in sufficient number to meet the wants of all the colonists and many of the native children; and one young prince, who has been educated in America by the society, is now engaged in teaching his own tribe, who will be his future subjects. The temperance cause has also made wonderful advances in a country where rum and gunpowder were but a few years since the chief articles given in exchange for slaves, so that in some of their towns ardent spirits cannot be purchased; and in their little capital, Monrovia, Dr Skinner enrolled 504 members to the temperance pledge in a few days. On this point the testimony is very clear and conclusive. In one of the numbers of "Africa's Luminary," now before us, the statistics of the Methodist church are very remarkable, as out of a population not exceeding 5000 souls, their church members are 957, and the pupils in their schools exceed that number. This is a spirited and well-conducted journal, and its execution by blacks is highly creditable to them. Our old acquaintance, the "Liberia Herald," comes to us much enlarged and improved. The latter is conducted by At his private exhibitions, M. Lafontaine operated the Rev. H. Teage, one of the earliest colonists. In principally upon a youth about sixteen years of age, these two papers we find enough to afford pleasing his servant. This youth generally became magnetised comment for hours. We see evidences that a peace--that is to say, he was thrown into a state of insenful commerce, of considerable extent and in which sibility-after a very brief period, say two or three Britain shares as freely as the founders of the colony them- minutes. The effect was produced by a few mesmeric selces-is conducted at their ports of entry. Premiums passes over the head, or by the contact of the thumb. for the promotion of agriculture, and among them The sleep produced seemed like the sleep of death. several for large numbers of coffee-trees, have been There was a perfect rigidity of limb and a total inawarded to men who were but recently slaves in the sensibility, or at least an apparent insensibility, not United States; in one instance, fifty dollars for plant- only to what was passing around, but to pain, and ing nearly 5000. Original communications, includ- to the influence of very potent agents-for instance, ing a very spirited review of the well-known work the application of electricity. On one occasion, this of Mrs Butler (formerly Miss Fanny Kemble), and youth held the wires of the voltaic battery for nearly useful extracts from English and American authors, ten minutes without exhibiting the least movement or sign of sensibility. M. Lafontaine repeatedly urged those present to test the force of the electric shock; but no one would try the experiment. Pins were also thrust into the hands and temples of the patient, and other very vulnerable parts, all without producing

are among their varied contents.

To our Edinburgh readers, the latest statistics of the flourishing little town at the mouth of the St John's river, and to which Mr Elliott Cresson gave in 1832 the name of Edina, in honour of our northern

At the interval of a day or two, we had opportu nities of witnessing some mesmeric phenomena at the house of Dr Elliotson, on two separate occasions. On the first day, Dr Elliotson presented to his company a young woman of respectable character and modest demeanour, who had been cured of fits of a very violent character, and generally of long duration (paroxysmal hiccup), by means of animal magnetism. Grateful for her cure, and sensible of continued benefit from the experiments, she willingly yields to his desire of from time to time exhibiting the phenomena in her person. The patient seated herself on the chair; Dr Elliotson sat opposite to her. He did not employ any mesmeric passes or manipulations. All that he did was to place his right hand near her forehead, with two of his fingers extended. Occasionally the fingers were gently placed nearer the girl's forehead, and as gently withdrawn. At the end of about five-and-twenty minutes, the girl appeared to have lost all sensibility whatever, and was in a sound sleep. Her limbs were as rigid as those of a corpse. The hands were closely clenched, and, when any one attempted to pull up one of the arms, a great resistance was felt; and on being let go, the arm instantly sprung back into its former position. After some time had been spent in thus testing the rigidity of the muscles, Dr Elliotson retired about two yards in front of the patient, and with his hands extended and pointed towards her, went through the

which the food of man is diminished, either in quantity
or quality, are sinful, as opposed to God's desire for the
happiness of his creatures.-Paley's Moral Philosophy.

THE CHATHAM ISLANDS.

ANOTHER instance of that intrepid colonising spirit
with which the English people are endowed, is exem-
plified in the following account, given in a late South
Australian paper, of the proceedings of the New Zea-
land Company:-

gestures of one pulling at another. The girl then slowly, but without in the least losing her apparent rigidity, abandoned the sitting posture, and rose upon her feet. It may be remarked, that the chair was a very low one, and we had previously satisfied ourselves that no person of ordinary strength placed in it could rise without drawing in the feet, leaning the body forward, and making a violent effort; yet no such gestures were used in her case. She now stood with her clenched hands held out half sideways, and her closed eyes towards the operator, who presently moved away to another part of the room, and began as if to pull her in that direction. She then turned, with the slow movements of a piece of mechanical wax-work, towards him, and stood with her hands extended as before. On his going nearly round behind her, she turned round after him, and in doing so, assumed a most uneasy position; for it is to be remarked, turn as she might, her feet never in the least moved from their original position-a circumstance we were careful to mark by observing the figures of the carpet. Dr Elliotson then undid the influence upon one arm, and instantly it was found capable of being moved easily up and down. After about an hour's operations, he made transverse passes across her face, and restored her to consciousness.

(generally a noisy inmate) fell on his knees, and with apparently most earnest fervour, thus supplicated :— Of all thy blessings, thou Deity supreme,

Bless me with reason.'

From the men's ward we passed to that of the fe-
males, where astonishment grew on astonishment.' In
the morning we had seen them, melancholy evidences
of minds overthrown; noisy, vociferous, and holding
discourse with incorporeal air, and bending their eyes
on vacancy; now entering fully into social pleasures.
At first it seemed but a dream, which at length burst
into reality; we mixed with them, and joined them
in the dance; and those who in the morning would
have excited alarm, were now fit to be companions of
confidence and security. Not only did we take for
partners the most violent cases, but Miss A., of whom
so much has been written, whose violence has been so
much spoken of, whose 'untameable spirit' has caused
her to undergo months and months of seclusion-this
patient was as subdued and as quiet as the most con-
valescent. Not only did we participate in the pleasures
of the dance, but young ladies who accompanied us
were so confident in the quiet demeanour of the patients,
that they also joined both in quadrilles and in country
dances with the patients themselves; and from the hour
of seven until ten, when we left, not a single word of
indecorum was heard, nor one act which could offend
the most delicate. In addition to two violins, two Swiss
girls, who travel with the French pianos and tambou-
rine, were introduced. The objects by which they

"We learn that the New Zealand Company has added to its former extensive possessions the ownership of the Chatham Islands, a group lying in latitude 44 degrees south, and about three hundred miles to the eastward of Port Nicholson. The purchase was effected by Mr Hanson; who proceeded thither from New Zealand early in May last, in the company's ship Cuba, accompanied by Dr Dieffenbach and Mr Heaphy. He found the islands occupied by two native tribes, the Nati-motunga and the Nati-tomma; who were at war with each other. A large quantity of goods was handed over to each of the tribes as the consideration of the purchase, and formal deeds of conveyance were obtained. The extent of territory thus acquired exceeds 700,000 square acres; and consists of three On a subsequent day, we witnessed experiments islands, namely, Chatham Island (600,000 acres), Pitt's performed in the same place on several other indiviIsland (100,000 acres), and an islet to the south-east duals, who professed to have been cured of painful (15,000 acres). Of the surface of Chatham Island, nervous ailments by magnetism. One of these, a however, about one-sixth is covered by a large salt-water young woman, had been in such a state, that she lake, separated from the sea by a narrow sandbank, could not bear the least sound nor endure the pre- through which it occasionally forces a passage; and a sence of another person in the same room. Another district in the same island was set apart as a native was a young man who had lost the use of his limbs. reserve. But after deducting these, an ample field reA third girl had been recovered from a species of in-mains open to colonisation; and it is stated by Mr sanity consequent upon nervous suffering. In her case, when under magnetism, the same phenomenon as that which attracted so much notice in America, in the case of Miss Ryder, was observed. She was found to have the power of seeing in what ordinary persons would have called the dark. She had also a remarkable consciousness of what would be useful in her complaint, and Dr Elliotson had obeyed her directions with good effect. Supposing these cases rightly reported in all respects, the allegation that Mesmerism is useless would of course be no longer tenable.

ture. Chatham Island contains several safe harbours

were surrounded seemed to excite their surprise, but there was a total absence of fear, ignorant probably that they were among lunatics: this addition to the evening's amusement gave increased delight to the paosity was next excited to ascertain how this novel and tients. Having exhausted our astonishment, our curiextraordinary experiment was ventured upon, and to whom was the great merit due of introducing it. Its success was all that the most sanguine could expect, and but had it failed as signally as it was successful, merit approximated closely to the fabled power of Orpheus; would still have been due. It is therefore but an act

of strict-justice, though to us one of unbounded pleasure, to award Dr Charlesworth the praise that is justly due, for his endeavour to soothe the violent, and cheer the hypochondriacal. Such a scene we never could have

dreamt of."

Hanson, that at least one-half of the available land may
be immediately employed, either for agriculture or pas
for shipping, is well watered, enjoys, like New Zealand,
a genial and healthy climate, free from the extremes of
heat and cold, and its soil is well adapted to the growth
of corn. Flax and fern vegetate luxuriantly, and in
some parts there is fine timber; but these islands are
comparatively less thickly wooded than New Zealand,
and contain a larger proportion of land applicable to
pasturage and the cultivation of grain. One part of
Chatham Island is represented as barren of trees and
sandy, but abounding with beds of peat of excellent
quality for fuel. The harbour in which the Cuba first
anchored was named Port Wakefield. It is well shel-
tered, and receives a river which is navigable for small
craft, being forty miles wide at a mile and a half dis-
tant from its mouth. At about ten miles from Port
Wakefield, and at the northern side of the same bight
or bay, lies another good harbour, called by the natives
Wangeroa, and which has been named Port Hutt.
This latter harbour is peculiarly easy of access, and
always free from any swell of the sea. Mr Hanson was
taking steps towards the formation of a settlement
either at Port Wakefield or Port Hutt; but the supe-
rior quality of the land surrounding the former will
probably induce the first settlers to give it the prefe-
rence. Mr Hanson was also engaged in the formation
of a whaling establishment. It seems that the Chatham
Islands have been officially proclaimed a part of the
British dominions; but there will be reason to rejoice
if their acquirement by the New Zealand Company
should be the means of making them known to the world
as a new and not unimportant field for still farther
extending the progress of British colonisation in the
southern hemisphere."

Dr Elliotson, in conversation, described a case of what the Mesmerists call clair-coyance, which had recently come under his attention, namely, the alleged power of seeing, not only with the eyes, but through the medium of the brain, or some unexplained sense. The person operated upon was a boy, a servant in a gentleman's family, in perfect health at the time, but who was induced by his master to submit to the operation, in order to overcome the scepticism of his guests. The moment the boy had been Mesmerised, the usual state of insensibility was produced, and then followed the most wonderful and startling elucidations. The boy began to talk wildly. It appeared that his master had strictly forbidden him to use knives, but when the fit was on him, he let out the secret. "The old chap," said the boy (meaning his master)" says I shan't have a knife. He is a very clever fellow, but I have tricked him. Here's the knife; he little thinks I have got it." Hereupon the boy pulled out the knife, much to the amusement of all present. Ile revealed various other little peccadilloes, which he would no doubt have been particularly desirous of concealing, had he been in a state of consciousness.

The boy's eyes were then bandaged in such a way that the company were all convinced that he could not possibly see, and various objects were held up, all of which he named when desired to do so. Mr Dickens was present, and the word "Boz" having been written on a card, the question was put to the boy whether he knew what was on the card. He instantly repeated the word "Boz." The theory of the practitioner is, as far as we apprehended it, that, in particular conditions, the brain may possess a consciousness independent of the senses.

Both Dr Elliotson and M. Lafontaine failed, in our presence, to magnetise individuals who submitted to them; and it appears to be an established doctrine in the science, that the same operations produce different effects on different individuals, and are always most powerful in cases where some species of nervous disease has notoriously existed. It has been suggested, as partly accounting for these results, that, as animal magnetism has obviously a curative effect, it may not be naturally calculated to affect healthy persons, but be solely capable of acting upon individuals more or less diseased, and on these in different ways, according to the nature and extent of their ailments.

THE FRUITS OF THE EARTH.

FESTIVAL AT A LUNATIC ASYLUM.

THE power of music over the passions and feelings of
mankind, and even over the brute creation, is univer-
sally admitted, and many wonderful instances of such
power are on record; but we doubt much if any thing
more wonderful, or more clearly demonstrating the in-
fluence of harmonious sounds over the human mind,
was ever witnessed, than what is described in the fol-
lowing account, which is copied by a newspaper from
the Lincoln Gazette :—

"A TEA-DRINKING AND DANCE AT THE LUNATIC ASYLUM.

6

While we are about to write on this extraordinary festivity, for such it really was, we doubt its receiving general credence. On Thursday evening we entered the beautiful garden and parterre leading to the asylum: the building was lighted, and the sounds of merriment were alone heard. The house-surgeon, Mr Smith, was attending to the comfort and entertainment of the male patients, and Miss Vessey was equally attentive to the females. The 'tea-table' enjoyments being concluded, all seemed anxious to join the merry dance,' and trip it lightly along the hall. The two galleries were tastefully decorated by bouquets of flowers, gathered and arranged by the afflicted inmates,' round the lights appended to the walls. To describe the effect that the first note of music striking on the ear produced in the male ward, is impossible; all were in a moment subdued-the latent and inactive mind seemed to send forth every remnant of reason's wreck ;' the most turbulent were soothed into quiet; and parties and coteries were formed, with more regularity and order than at some rational meetings. Nor was the amusement of the evening confined to the dance; recitations and singing formed a part, and not a small part, to excite wonder and astonishment: in one of the recitations, in an address to the Deity, invoking his blessing, the reciter

On the subject of wasting or destroying the fruits of the earth, Dr Paley remarks:-From reason and revelation, it appears that God intended the fruits of the earth for man's support; but as he did not intend any waste or misapplication of these productions, such acts are, like others more expressly mentioned, wrong, as contrary to God's will. Hence the conversion of corn fields into parks for deer or covers for foxes; the noncultivation of lands, by parties in possession, or the refusal to let them to those who will cultivate them; the destruction or waste of food, with a view to increase the price of stocks on hand; the expending on dogs and horses the sustenance of man, or the conversion of grain into ardent spirits; these, and, in short, all acts by

TO FIND THE HEIGHT OF MOUNTAINS BY BOILING
WATER.

As a practical application of the influence of pressure on the boiling-point of water, the following rule is given for finding the heights of mountains by boiling water :

Boil pure water in an open vessel at the bottom of the elevation, and observe on the thermometer the point at which it boils. Boil it again at the top of the mountain, and observe with the thermometer the point at which it now boils; the difference of temperature, multiplied by 530 feet, will give a close approximation to the height of the upper above the lower station.

This will give an approximation, but if greater accuracy be required, it will further be necessary to correct for the difference of the temperature of the air at the two stations, in the following manner :-Add the temperatures of the air at the stations, and subtract 64 from their sum; multiply the remainder by one-thousandth part of the height found, and this will be the correction to be added to the height formerly found. The result thus found will still require a slight correction for the figure of the earth and latitude of the place; but this does not amount to more in our latitude than an addition of about two feet in a thousand, which forms a second correction.

To illustrate the mode of deducing heights from the

boiling-point, as we have given it, we take the following example:

Water boils on the top of Ben Nevis at 203-8°, while at the side of the Caledonian Canal it boils at 212o, the temperature being 30° on the summit of the mountain, and 35o below. In order to determine the height,

From 2129
Take 203.8°

There remains, 8-20
Multiply by 530

246.0 410

4346 first approx.
4 first correct.

To 30°
Add 35°

Sum 65°

Subt. 64°

Remain 1o mult. by 4:346
Latitude 56° nearly
Mult, 4-350
by 2

4350 second approx.
8.7 second correct.

8.700

CONDUCTED BY WILLIAM AND ROBERT CHAMBERS, EDITORS OF "CHAMBERS'S INFORMATION FOR THE PEOPLE,"
"CHAMBERS'S EDUCATIONAL COURSE," &c.

NUMBER 515.

A FEW WEEKS ON THE CONTINENT.

ANTWERP TO SPA.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1841.

In the autumn of 1838, when I turned my face homewards at Heidelberg, on the pleasant banks of the Neckar, I consoled myself with the reflection, that at another opportunity I might possibly pursue my tour farther up the Rhine, even to the sources of its waters in Switzerland; and this year I found the means of fulfilling my desire. Once more, then, in the months of August and September, and with a delightful stretch of serene and cloudless weather, I spent a few more weeks from home, and now have the little story of my travels to tell to all the good folk who are willing to listen.

Formerly, I had sailed up the Maas from Rotterdam. This time, for the sake of variety, I adopted a route by the Scheldt--across the best part of Belgium to Namur, down the Meuse to Liege, thence to Spa, by the valley of the Vesdre, and onwards to the Rhine at Cologne; after which I proceeded to the upper country, partly by water, taking Baden-Baden, and some other places of interest, in my course. Not to detain the reader unnecessarily, I will occupy as little space as possible with these preliminary parts of my excursion.

PRICE THREE HALFPENCE.

these articles, for I felt assured that, as regards excel-
lence of quality, England had here certainly met her
match. The different parcels of cloth and flannels,
the manufacture of François Biolley and Sons at
Verviers, and of M. Snoeck at Herve, would not have
discredited the cloth-halls of Leeds; while the damasks
of Fretigny and Company at Ghent, and Dujardin at
Courtrai, gave indication that in this species of fabric
the Low Countries maintained their ancient reputation.
The threads and laces of Brussels were exhibited in ex-
tensive variety. Altogether, the Exposition afforded a
decided proof of the prodigious advance made in the use-
ful arts in Belgium of late years; and I believe nothing
remains to be done but to find a market for her goods.
That, it appears, is no easy matter, partly in conse-
quence of the little influence which the country has
abroad, but chiefly from the preference given in most
places to English goods. To put the question of price
in some measure to the test, I bought a few articles of
cutlery, and found that, though well executed, they cost
rather more than they were worth in England. From
all I saw and heard, my impression is, that nearly all
factory goods can still be produced cheaper, and on a
greater scale, in England than in Belgium; but that
Belgium can now manufacture most articles of as good
quality, and only stands in need of due encouragement
to be in every respect a most formidable competitor.
As regards articles prepared by the exercise of indivi-
dual taste and skill, we are already far behind Belgium.
I have never, for instance, seen in England any work
to compare in point of elegance of design and execu-
tion with that displayed on the pianofortes and
cabinets at this Exposition. I remarked one piano-
forte, in particular, marked 800 francs (L.32), a sum
which would not have paid for the mere workman-
ship of the case in England, where a L.32 piano is in
appearance little else than a plain veneered box.

lying through one of the richest agricultural districts
of the Netherlands, and abounding on all sides with
marks of careful and prosperous industry. Having
already offered a sketch of the Belgian capital, I need
say little of it here. The town appeared to me in
some respects improved; among other things worth
commending, I observed that side pavement was be-
coming more common, and that the streets were there-
fore a little more endurable to strangers than was the
case formerly. It was the dull season for town life, yet
there seemed a fair share of fashionable gaiety. I could
not but admire the neatness of the attire of both sexes,
and the decorous behaviour of all classes of the people
on Sunday. It is the custom here, as elsewhere in
Roman Catholic countries, to rise very early on Sun-
day morning, in order to attend church, so that by
eleven o'clock (the time we open church in England)
they have already spent seven hours in the public
offices of religion. The hours which follow they seem
to look upon as a kind of separate day; at all events,
the afternoon and evening are employed for the most
part in out-of-door or private recreations. On the
Sunday which occurred during my stay, the weather
was very beautiful, and consequently the Park was
crowded with visiters. At one o'clock, the military
band began as usual to play, and to draw an immense
company around. Rows of chairs being previously
arranged beneath the lofty trees, here might be seen
congregated persons of every grade of society, to the
number of several thousands, all listening with silent
attention to the music, while crowds equally great
were pouring towards a public edifice, the Palais des
Beaux Arts, near the main square, in which was
exhibiting a splendid collection of objects of art, the
work of Belgian manufacturers and artisans. I had
gone over the exhibition the day preceding, and now
only attended to note the appearance of the company.
First, let me say something of the exhibition, which
was entitled "L'Exposition des Produits de l'Indus-
trie de la Belge," and did infinite credit to the nation.
Let the reader conceive the idea of a very magnifi-
cent house, painted white outside like all other edifices
in Brussels, of two storeys in height, and lining three
sides of an open court laid out as a shrubbery and
flower-garden. Advancing between temporary palings,
we see on each hand specimens of large iron work,
such as steam-engine boilers, cables, and anchors.
Entering the vestibule, we follow a path through a
series of saloons on the ground floor, all filled with
objects of great interest and beauty of execution. One
saloon is filled with new-made steam-engines and loco
motives, engineering tools, spinning-machines, and
printing-presses, the workmanship of which appeared
to be equal to any thing of the kind in England. Next
we have a saloon occupied with pianofortes, cabinets,
and other articles, formed of walnut or other fine
woods, and inlaid with ivory or mother-of-pearl; we
observe here, also, some elegant gentlemen's coaches
and gigs, with harness to match. Another saloon
contains a most extraordinary variety of leather (a
manufacture in which we are greatly excelled by
the Belgians), painted floor-cloths, hair-cloths, furs,
perfumery, and periwigs. In ascending the grand
staircase, we find the landing-places occupied with
iron safes, stoves, fire-grates for drawing-rooms, all
unexceptionable and of first-rate finish. Landing on
the upper floor, we walk from room to room, lost in
the contemplation of the numerous products of Bel-
gian industry-lace, linen, woollen, cotton, and silk
goods, threads, cutlery, crystal, paper, fire-arms, mu-
sical instruments, philosophical apparatus, in short,
every thing that a luxurious people can require. I
spent an hour in the closest examination of some of

In about eighteen hours from London bridge, on a beautiful morning in August, our steamer was declared to be entering the mouth of the Scheldt, a river about the size of the Thames, and bounded on each side by the low grounds of the Netherlands, whose aspect was already familiar to me. "What a beautiful and yet how misused a river!" is the sentiment of every reflecting person who is borne on its bosom. Goldsmith speaks of it as the "lazy Scheldt," and to the term lazy we may now add that of " idle ;" but it is a forced idleness. By a political arrangement, the river is in effect shut by the Dutch against commerce, and the Belgians must seek other channels for their trade. While lamenting so scandalous an interference with a great natural advantage, we pass, on our left, Flushing, and one or two other places-among the number, the district or island of Walcheren, so fatal to the English army in 1809. We afterwards perform various turnings in the river for a distance of about sixty miles,* till brought to a stand at the quay of Antwerp, where the appearance of every thing around, including the ungracious demand for passports from a gentleman in a mustache, with a sword dangling from his pockethole, assures us we are in a foreign country. In three minutes, we are landed amidst the vociferations of fifty porters and "commissioners"-a sort of jackalls sent out by hotels to hear no more of our own tongue, worth speaking of, for a couple of months to come. The sight of the old Spanish houses of Antwerp revived a thousand recollections; and half a day was spent by us, with no small gratification, in visiting those famous pictures of Rubens, for which the principal churches in the town are celebrated. There it hung, just as I had seen it three years ago, and as it had hung (with the exception of one short interval) for centuries before-the "Descent from the Cross" -clear, cold, motionless, and dimly lighted by the lingering beams of an evening sun. Six generations have looked on that picture, and many more may be permitted to ponder over its beauties, before a work equal to it in all respects shall have been produced. After passing a night in Antwerp, we proceeded in the morning by a railway train to Brussels, our track

*To account for the term we, occasionally used in these sketches, let it be understood that the writer was accompanied by two ladies-his wife and sister.

As to the benefits supposed to be derived, in a national sense, from such an exhibition of manufactures as that above alluded to, I am unable to pronounce a confident opinion; but am inclined to think, that the arts are so far advanced in the Netherlands, as to require no species of fostering by honorary distinction, and may be safely left to themselves.* At the same time, as respects a means of rational public amusement and instruction, I consider the Exposition as worthy of all praise. During certain days of the week, it was open at a small charge (a quarter of a franc, or 24d.) for each person, the proceeds going to a public charity, but on Sundays all were admitted gratis. Of the effects of this or other means provided for public recreation in the after part of Sunday in Belgium, I cannot speak from positive knowledge; but on the whole, the plan seemed to me better, socially speaking, than that which is pursued in our own country, where law and custom provide no other means of recreation than what are to be obtained in the publichouse. Throughout the whole of the day and evening, I saw not in Brussels the slightest instance of indecorum or intemperance, and I leave any one to judge if as much could be said of the streets of Edinburgh, or other large towns in Britain.

Pursuing our way from Brussels, our route lay in a southerly direction, at eleven miles' distance intersecting the field of Waterloo, which therefore formed a point of interest on the road. The country, on leaving Brussels, begins to ascend into swelling low hills, and to partake of the character of

*The Exposition was under the patronage and direction of the government, who distributed 28 medals of gold, 38 of silver gilt, 86 of silver, 112 of bronze, first class, and 74 bronze, second class; also made honourable mention of 96 exhibitors. The articles are to be disposed of by lottery, for behoof of their proprietors.